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[stktt]

Do you understand how the publisher system works?

No.

 

[outunderthestars]

Unnamed ANALYSTS?

Who cares what any analyst has to say?

This.

 

[Loxley]

You guys honestly think 2K has $200 million just lying around to spend on any game let alone Bioshock Infinite? They're not exactly EA or Acti-Blizzard. I refuse to believe this game cost anywhere near as much as EA spent on TOR, so I'm calling bullshit.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

You guys honestly think 2K has $200 million just lying around to spend on any game let alone Bioshock Infinite? They're not exactly EA or Acti-Blizzard. I refuse to believe this game cost anywhere near as much as EA spent on TOR, so I'm calling bullshit.

Take-Two greenlights development budgets for Rockstar games that usually exceed $100 million in budget.

IIRC, they spent a lot of money on even Spec Ops: The Line.

 

[Quesa]

Guys I'm an unnamed analyst ask me anything

 

[zerokoolpsx]

Over 5 million at full price just to break even.

 

[Bear]

That doesn't sound like a direct denial to me.

Perhaps not, but it definitely doesn't lend credence to the figures.

Considering it's an anonymous source and the numbers sound unreasonably high (Levine implies that as well), I wouldn't put much stock in the NYT's claims until we get some more reliable data. The series has sold decently in the past, but not well enough to warrant this kind of budget.

 

[jgminto]

Guys I'm an unnamed analyst ask me anything

What random number generator do you use?

 

[papercamm]

Almost there.

 

[Quesa]

What random number generator do you use?

Math is for amateurs. I use a complex system of dice rolls and the day's answers to the New York Times crossword to derive my oft-cited and rarely questioned statistics.

 

[Opiate]

By 2010, Bioshock 1 had sold four million. Wouldn't be surprised if it had long enough legs to hit 5 by now.

EDIT: Beaten.

Almost all at dramatically reduced prices, however. If the last 3 million averaged 20 dollar sales, then Take 2 would have made between 10 and 16 dollars for each one. At that rate, they'd need to sell 7M-10M copies to recoup costs.

Not saying any of this is impossible, mind you. Just trying to emphasize how top heavy AAA development has become.

 

[Sheroking]

Do you understand how the publisher system works?

T2 loses the money, but come on - any studio that fails to live up to that lofty a budget is dead, and the IP is buried.

 

[Plasmid]

No way it costs twice what GTA IV cost to make.

Proof / name of analyst and we'll talk

 

[Zinthar]

They need to update their list. Or maybe they're pretending RE6 never came out?

Edit: Wait, is March 22 the PC release date?

Yes, but on the PC side we're also pretending it's not coming out.

Why can't they just do a proper PC re-make of RE4?

 

[Messofanego]

Ken hasn't outright denied it, he must know the real number right? Why not spill it? Surely can't cause any more uproar than this already has.

 

[Chance Hale]

Yes, but on the PC side we're also pretending it's not coming out.

Why can't they just do a proper PC re-make of RE4?

There's a magical pc "side"? Not to mention it's on the top of the steam best sellers list Edit: (besides Infinite)


And along with that edit I feel disappointed that this post is the one that makes me a member. Wanted to become one with a bang!

 

[lucius]

I have seen much more ads for Tomb Raider leading up to it's release so wonder where all the marketing money went if that is true.

 

[djtiesto]

I have seen much more ads for Tomb Raider leading up to it's release so wonder where all the marketing money went if that is true.

Yup, granted I haven't been really following the game but apart from an advertisement on a subway wall in Brooklyn I didn't really see too much that would justify a $100m marketing budget.

I'm waiting for the first huuuuuge budget game to be a massive failure in terms of marketing. That way hopefully publishers will start to move away from "AAA" play-it-safe development and start to temper their expectations. Things are seriously getting out of hand, and with the combination of declining market and more powerful next-gen machines the cost is gonna go up and sales are gonna go down. If Bioshock Infinite is the big sacrificial lamb, so be it.

 

[-COOLIO-]

A ticket to the movies ain't $60 a pop though

money is money

 

[i-Lo]

The game is nowhere near as open as GTAIV/RDR/Skyrim/Fallout. Perhaps including marketing it can reach somewhere north of $60-70 million but a whole $200m is just pure stinking smoking pile of BS.

 

[jim-jam bongs]

Yup, granted I haven't been really following the game but apart from an advertisement on a subway wall in Brooklyn I didn't really see too much that would justify a $100m marketing budget.

I'm waiting for the first huuuuuge budget game to be a massive failure in terms of marketing. That way hopefully publishers will start to move away from "AAA" play-it-safe development and start to temper their expectations. Things are seriously getting out of hand, and with the combination of declining market and more powerful next-gen machines the cost is gonna go up and sales are gonna go down. If Bioshock Infinite is the big sacrificial lamb, so be it.

That's cold bro, a Call of Duty clone would be way more appropriate. Sadly nationalist blood lust never fails to sell :S

 

[thequickandthedead]

Guys I'm an unnamed analyst ask me anything

I wanna be an analyst too. Can you get me a job?

 

[Quesa]

I wanna be an analyst too. Can you get me a job?

Quick, how many copies will The Last of Us sell?

 

[AHA-Lambda]

There was no way this cost $200m the numbers don't make sense. I'd say $100m max if 2K matches the games dev budget on marketing.

$10m = 100 staff members salaries for one year on average (I doubt Irrational had 200 people working on this, 100 is the typical value for most AAA titles).
Take this for the approximate 5 years this has been in dev for gives you $50m. There is no way $100m has been spent on marketing, as others have said Tomb Raider has had more marketing than this :/

Essentially T2 have have themselves another Max Payne 3 situation. The best I think they can hope for us to break even, just like MP3.

 

[Messofanego]

While we're speaking of marketing, what real life marketing has there been? Pics of billboards, bus ads, cinema trailers?

 

[jim-jam bongs]

While we're speaking of marketing, what real life marketing has there been? Pics of billboards, bus ads, cinema trailers?

There are quite a few posters at subway entrances in Manhattan but Tomb Raider ads are way more ubiquitous.

 

[Yasae]

Ken hasn't outright denied it, he must know the real number right? Why not spill it? Surely can't cause any more uproar than this already has.

Because the real number's probably still too high.

 

[clem84]

How the hell will they make up for that budget? Most games don't make 200M profit in their lifetime.

 

[diffusionx]

You guys honestly think 2K has $200 million just lying around to spend on any game let alone Bioshock Infinite?

You don't need to have it lying around, you need to raise it. I believe 2K can raise it. Did they with this game? I doubt it, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was over $100 million.

 

[Tallshortman]

1.6Mil+

No... maybe if you think 2K gets $60 for every copy sold which they don't, so...

 

[BobTheSpy]

If the budget was $200 million, then 2K is losing money on this game guaranteed. Which sucks, because it would happen even if the game is amazing.

 

[DR2K]

No... maybe if you think 2K gets $60 for every copy sold which they don't, so...

If they got $60 for each sold, times that by 1.6 million and it's only 96 million...

 

[Messofanego]

Because the real number's probably still too high.